Malta has experienced the highest number of inbound flight delays in the EU so far this year, according to data from international air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol.

The country also ranked second to worst for outbound flight punctuality, the data shows.

From the start of the year until August 6, just 57 per cent of flights into Malta were on time. This was the worst in the EU, with only Moldova ranked lower out of the 41 countries shown.

While departing flights fared slightly better – achieving a punctuality score of almost 60 per cent – this was still low in the EU rankings, coming in at second place behind France. Non-EU countries Israel and Serbia were also below Malta.

A flight is defined as punctual by Eurocontrol if it arrives or departs within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.

Finland and Estonia scored the highest in the EU, with the former ranked the best for arrivals and the latter for departures. In Finland, almost 80 per cent of flights arrived on schedule while close to 82 per cent of flights departed from Estonia on time.

Norway also performed well, taking the top spot for arrivals, with four out of five landing on time, and second for departures.

While Malta was the lowest-scoring country for arrival punctuality, Malta International Airport also compared badly to other aviation hubs. It ranked 107th out of 110 airports.

A spokesperson for Malta International Airport told Times of Malta on Monday that some reasons for delays were outside its control.

“While we acknowledge that flight delays affect the overall guest experience, some of the most common causes of disruptions, including inclement weather, technical issues and industrial action, are beyond the airport’s reasonable control,” she said.

In July, Eurocontrol’s director general, Raul Medina warned that Europe was facing a “challenging” summer due to increased flights combined with a 20 per cent loss of airspace because of the war in Ukraine. 

“To be successful over the summer, we need everyone to play their part,” he told an Airports Council International (ACI) meeting in Barcelona earlier this year.

“Airports need to be well staffed, it is vital [air traffic controllers] provide enough capacity and that airlines stick to their schedules.”

Air Malta flights were beset with delays this year, with the national airline putting it down to a shortage of aircraft.

Meanwhile, back in March, Malta Air CEO David O’Brien claimed that “misbehaviour” by Malta’s air traffic control was leading to longer flights and fuel wastage. 

Speaking at a press conference about his airline’s summer schedule, he had said “unprofessional” practices in the way aircraft were told to approach or take off from the country were costing his airline and others added fuel costs.

“This misbehaviour needs to end by the summer. We need to see professionalism back in place. It is a privilege to be an air traffic controller on an island with one airport and that privilege needs to be treated with respect,” he said.

Eurocontrol is a pan-European air traffic management organisation spanning 41 countries.